FLINTSHIRE’S great rugby hope Haydn Pugh is enjoying a storming start to what is gearing up to be the most important year of his career so far.

The 19-year-old from Flint has been named in the Wales Under 20s squad for the U20s Six Nations Championship which kicks off next Friday when Pugh and co face the old enemy England at the Kingsholm Stadium, the home of Guinness Premiership giants Gloucester.

The inaugural tournament will be followed by the inaugural Junior World Championship in June, which is being held in Wales.

And the esteem in which powerhouse Pugh is held was evident last week when he was wheeled out alongside new Wales head coach Warren Gatland and Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Roger Lewis to promote the event at Wrexham FC’s Racecourse Ground.

Lock Pugh – who was part of the Wales team that finished fourth at last year’s U19s World Championship in Northern Ireland – will use the 16-nation, three-week championship as a shop window to win a professional contract.

The Mold Rugby Club product is playing semi-professionally for Principality Premiership outfit and Konica Minolta Cup holders Llandovery.

Pugh – who left Flintshire three years ago to join the famed Llanelli Scarlets academy – took a risk when he signed for one of the lesser lights of the Welsh top flight in the summer following a season in Division One (West) with Llangennech.

But it is a move that has paid dividends, as where as some of his Wales U20s team-mates have had to play second fiddle to more experienced and professional players at bigger clubs, Pugh has become the cornerstone of Llandovery’s team.

Pugh – who was part of the Wales U20s side that narrowly went down to a strong Ospreys XV at Aberavon last Monday – has won man-of-the-match awards against giants like Neath, Pontypridd and Newport, and in October was named the league’s player of the month, an accolade previously won by Wales wonderkid James Hook.

Llandovery head coach Iestyn Thomas said: “Haydn has settled into the club incredibly well. He is honest and works very hard in training which pays off in match situations. If he continues to improve at this rate, he has an awesome future ahead of him.”

And former Flint High School student Pugh – who has been shortlisted for the senior sportsman award at Flintshire County Council’s Sports Personality of the Year Awards – has been told by New Zealander Gatland that he has the chance to become only the second player from Flintshire to represent the full national team.

Gatland said: “I’ve already spoken to the players about the importance of doing well and told them a number of them will be involved in the Wales World Cup side in 2011.”

Pugh and Wales U20s will be based at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea for the Junior World Championship while the Racecourse will stage the Pool B qualifiers involving South Africa, Scotland, Samoa and the USA.

Samoa and USA will use Mold’s Chester Road ground as their base while Scotland will train at Shotton Steel Rugby Club.